The last day of 2007, and Holly and I went out for a wander in the park while Helen took Louis to see the doctor about his perpetual chest cold. We chased seagulls, built an imaginary snowman, went to an imaginary cinema (behind some bushes) and fixed some sick trees. This consisted mostly of rubbing them with leaves until they were better.
Monday, December 31, 2007
After Dark
Sunday afternoon, and to road-test my solo parenting skills (I'm working 4 days a week in the new year, taking one day to look after the kiddies when Helen returns to work) I took the nippers up to the funfair on Market Street, at he back of the Bank of Scotland building. Lots of scary rides, flashing lights, people and noise. They were transfixed, but Holly drew the line at the Ghost Train, and wouldn't get closer than 10m or so.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Christmas Part II
A follow-up Christmas celebration chez Millar on the 29th, where Louis and Holly were showered with excellent gifts from all directions. More pictures of the day from Scott here.
Friday, December 28, 2007
Aftermath
Boxing Day, and a relatively relaxed time for all concerned. Holly got stuck into her new (percussive) musical instruments dressed in her new nightie. Louis chewed a balloon (pro photography on a phone by Mick!) and later on we took Holly out to the park for a breath of fresh air. The day after, we spent the day driving home at the same time as nearly everyone else in England was either driving home or to the sales. We made it though, and are gradually returning to normal. Tomorrow we're off chez Millar for Christmas Mk II...
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Merry Christmas!
Holly and Louis were up early, not a major change from the normal routine for Louis and definitely not unexpected for Holly. She arose and opened her "Santa" pressies in her jammies, then later changed into her nice red Christmas dress for a spot of festive visiting. Later on, she changed again, this time into her little Santa outfit to dispense gifts among the assembled grownups. At dinner, Louis (looking very grown up in his new shirt) found the cracker hat a little large...
Monday, December 24, 2007
'Twas The Day Before Christmas
And all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even Louis who was left to his own devices on a huge sofa when we visited some of Pat & John's neighbours for a festive drink. Earlier today, Holly tried on the rather splendid Santa costume she was given by Kate and Mick.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
If Santa Ran A Miniature Railway...
Visited Audley End Miniature Railway today, with none other than Santa Claus himself in attendance. Louis was pretty much nonplussed, but Holly was entranced, and it was a delight to see her wee face as Santa came to talk to her. If anything, the previously unmentioned Mrs. Claus was even more of a treat, and we headed homeward with a happy wee girl in our midst, not least because Santa added yet another wee teddy to the ever-expanding roll of her "babies".
Countdown to Christmas
The countdown has begun. I finished work on Wednesday, and on Thursday Holly and I took a brief stroll in the park before we all clambered into the car. We had a looonnnggg drive to Saffron Walden for the Christmas Holidays, and we were welcomed by Grandma Pat, Granddad John and a well-deserved beer. Here are a few pics of the first few days. Running fans, check out my Nike+ stats down to the right, I've been running every day so far!
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Weird
A slighty creepy Christmas greeting from the Millar family:
http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1489701159
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http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1489701159
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Monday, December 17, 2007
Another Hiatus
"Damn and blast British Telecom" exclaimed Dirk, the words coming easily from force of habit.
Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency
Douglas Adams
We switched to BT Total Broadband two or three months ago, and it's taken that long to arrange the transfer of our phone number from our previous supplier. The big day came for the switch last week, and we ended up with two dead phone lines and no broadband. Nearly five days and innumerable frustrating and lengthy calls to miscellaneous geographically diverse and defiantly unhelpful help desks later, and we're back online. Rant over.
Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency
Douglas Adams
We switched to BT Total Broadband two or three months ago, and it's taken that long to arrange the transfer of our phone number from our previous supplier. The big day came for the switch last week, and we ended up with two dead phone lines and no broadband. Nearly five days and innumerable frustrating and lengthy calls to miscellaneous geographically diverse and defiantly unhelpful help desks later, and we're back online. Rant over.
In the meantime, Holly has been conducting weird experiments with makeup, Helen and Holly took a ride on Santa's Christmas Express in Princes Street Gardens, and the three horsemen of the apocalypse rode into town on their trusty bed.
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Chapeau!
Sunday morning, the usual Commonwealth Pool routine. They have overshoes available for parents to wear while viewing their waterlogged offspring from the poolside. Holly picked up an overshoe and decided it would work better as a hat...
Saturday, December 08, 2007
An Afternoon With Dad
Standard Saturday morning routine at the Funny Little Park, then to give Helen a wee break, I took the weans to the EICA at Ratho for a couple of hours in the afternoon. They had a great time in the soft play area, and when we emerged after dark, Holly was delighted to find it had snowed while we were inside. Alas like all Edinburgh snow, it was soggy and short-lived.
Friday, December 07, 2007
December Lodges
Pat and John were up visiting this week, here are a few highlights from John's camera. On Wednesday, they took Holly to Edinburgh's Christmas in Princes Street, lunch at the Gallery of Modern Art, Molly's at Ocean Terminal in the afternoon, then all of us to Pizza Express for dinner. A busy day for all!
Painting - Job Done
Cutting a long story short, the hall is done at last. It's better than it was. Suffice to say I shall heartily endorse any future move to a house with smaller rooms, lower ceilings and fewer period features...
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Painting - Day 2
I finished the prep and painted the ceiling today. Holly arrived just as I was testing the white paint for the woodwork, so obviously I let her have a go. It was a nervous time, with gloss paint dripping everywhere and everyone's clothes at risk. Holly picked up on all the anxiety, and decided she didn't want her door painted, but not before she'd had a good go at it herself.
Monday, December 03, 2007
Painting - Day 1
Washing, plastering and sanding were the tasks for day one of our week of hall-painting. Holly got her old jeans and her "painting t-shirt" on, and got stuck right in. I strongly suspect she enjoyed climbing the ladder more than she enjoyed the actual sanding... and who wouldn't?
Sunday, December 02, 2007
Manchester
"Manchester, so much to answer for" sang Morrissey, but we didn't run into the miserable old warbler when we visited Kate in his town this weekend. We did meet Carmen though, and Holly had a tremendous time with her at her house, in the park, and in Aunty Kate's Toddler Cookery School. Us grownups had a lovely time too, but were glad to get our feet up on Sunday night after such a busy little weekend...
Friday, November 30, 2007
November Catchup
Good gravy, it's been nearly three weeks since the last update! Busy times, and poorly times. We've had a bit of a family cold going on, as is traditional in Scotland when the nights draw in. Daily life goes on though, and Louis remains a happy wee soul most of the time. Our first trip to Grandma Sheila's in the trailer ended with a sleeping Holly, despite the cold and the bumps in the road...
Sunday, November 11, 2007
No Angel
Lest you, dear reader, come to the conclusion that here chez Millar we live a life of perpetual smiles and happiness, I feel I must share with you the sorry tale of Billie and the washing machine. Billie is Holly's favourite doll, and constant companion. To say that Billie tends to get rather grimy in the course of her duties would be something of an understatement, so on Saturday morning we removed her doll-sized garments and tossed them in the washing machine. The resulting explosion of clothes, limbs and wailing from Holly would have put Krakatoa to shame. It took a while, and the strategic deployment of The Jungle Book on the video iPod, to get her calmed down again, at which point Holly expressed her intention to sit in front of the washing machine until the cycle had blummen well finished. She even managed to look cute doing it, the little minx.
Parental Bias
Bathtime last Friday. Clearly I'm biased, but I think when Holly's hair is up off her face (even in a somewhat - erm - unusual soapy style like this one) she's just the most beautiful girl in the world. Biased perhaps, but who wouldn't be?
Remember, Remember - It Must Be November
Already? Here's another few wee glimpses into life around the Millar homestead now that the nights are well and truly drawn in and autumn drifts inexorably towards winter. More indoor stuff, less outdoor...
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Chocolate Mouth
A little glimpse into Holly's day at Grandma & Papa's on Wednesday. I'm tucking into the resulting chocolate cornflake crunchy things right now...
Sunday, November 04, 2007
Heading South For The Winter
Kirsty and Peter are in the country, so last week Helen, Holly and Louis took the opportunity to head for Essex to see Pat & John, using them as a springboard - so to speak - to visit not only Kirsty, Peter and Beatrice, but Catherine, Matt and Isabel too. And not forgetting Paula of course. Here's a selection of pictures.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Autumn Update
It's been a busy week, and a busy weekend. Plenty of photo opportunities though, and here's a selection. Louis is on top form, and still a very happy wee soul despite the appearance of a couple of wee teeth. Holly's been on great form this week too, and loves playing with her wee brother, as well as pals Evie (and Marianne), Luke and Olivia.
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Hillpark
Popped out for a wee stroll up Corstorphine Hill with Grandma Sheila and Papa Gordon, gave Louis his first outing in his rather splendid rucksack. It's a vast improvement on the one Holly used to use, and Louis enjoyed it so much he fell asleep in it.
Faster, Faster!
Another morning at the Funny Little Park, this time travelling in the bike trailer and with Holly showing astonishing levels of physical confidence, including hanging on to the roundabout for dear life and screaming for it to go faster. Nice wee phone clip below, I particularly like the nice strobing effect on the "spokes" of the roundabout...
Friday, October 19, 2007
Silence = Mess
Picture the scene: it's Friday morning and we've just had breakfast. I'm getting ready for work and Helen is feeding Louis his porridge. "Holly's very quiet" says Helen, and we go to see what she's up to. Here's the sight that met us as we peeked around Holly's bedroom door...
Sunday, October 14, 2007
A Bicycle Built For Three
Last week, I finally got around to driving to Stenhousemuir to buy a second-hand bicycle trailer. It's in good nick and was a bargain. Holly and I road-tested it on the Saturday Tesco trip, but today we had a short whole-family expedition with Louis in there too. Holly loves it, and while Louis seems less outwardly impressed, he sat there and took it all in, just like in his buggy. This will eventually be the way we take the kids to nursery when Helen goes back to work.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Sunshine on Ratho
Saturday morning, and Louis is doing well with his solids, even managing to look boyish despite wearing a pink BabyGro that Holly also looked pretty cute in. Breakfast is a messy game the whole family can enjoy... in the afternoon, we head back to the EICA at Holly's request - she's really quite interested in the idea of people (especially small people) climbing up walls with ropes attached to them. We shall see whether the enthusiasm lasts until she's old enough to pariticipate. In the meantime, the sun comes out and we take a wee stroll along the canal to the Bridge Inn at Ratho where we all have a wee drinkie in the autumn sunshine.
Sunday, October 07, 2007
Making A Splash
Further to the previous entry about Louis in the big bath, here's a wee phone clip of the wee lad splashing around, with a guest appearance by Holly's toothbrush:
The Youngest Swinger In Town
A busy weekend, back to the normal Saturday morning routine, then visits to the Fat Face Edinburgh Night Ride and the Edinburgh International Climbing Arena for Marianne's 1st Birthday. Didn't photograph any of that though. This afternoon, we had what must surely be the last of Edinburgh's indian summer so went to the park. Louis is just about able to sit up by himself, so was more than able to have his first go on the swings. He loved it. And he loved lying in the big bath too.
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Andalucia
Just back from a week in Mijas, a wee mountain town overlooking the Costa del Sol in southern Spain. Main reason was to celebrate Grandma Pat's birthday, but Grandad John and I also had birthdays while we were there. Lots of pool time, some beach visits, and some nice lunches and barbecues in the evenings. Weather was mostly great, it was all very relaxing and nice to get a bit of sunshine before winter hits in Scotland.
Monday, September 17, 2007
An Indoor Weekend
Not fantastic weather in Embra this weekend, so we had quite an indoorsy time of it, from a shared bath on Friday night to lounging on the inflatable "nest" on Saturday morning (wearing red wellies put on by Holly in full-on maternal role play), a quiet read followed by a visit to Grandma and Papa's on Saturday afternoon, and a roll on the floor with Nate when we visited Leo on his birthday.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Pedal For Scotland 2007
I made a last-minute decision to do Pedal For Scotland, an annual charity bike ride from Glasgow to Edinburgh (or vice versa). Unfortunately I was too late to register or book transport, so I got up at 6am and cycled through to Glasgow in the driving rain. I met Keith and Leila on Glasgow Green, and we headed for home. With one thing and another we were running a bit late by this time, and I'd said I'd try to be home for two, so I said my farewells to Keith and Leila and hammered home taking a more direct route than the "official" one. A total of 95 miles in six and a half hours in the saddle, I reckon. And mostly in the driving rain. A strangely great morning out though.
Monday, September 10, 2007
Indian Summer
Saturday, and a rare summery day took us to the beach at Gullane for a wholesome family day out. There was sand and sea and paddling and rock pools and hole-digging and child-burying and all manner of coastal fun. Then we spotted Keith and Leila and Daisy the dog strolling along the beach, and we all decided to head off to the Old Clubhouse for a pint as the sun set over the yard-arm. Holly ordered a big plate of Penne Arrabiata from the bar, and made a good-sized dent in it too.
Sunday, September 02, 2007
OT On A Sunday
An easy day was indicated after the tree-climbing party-based rigours of Saturday, so after the normal Sunday morning swim we tootled down to Ocean Terminal. Louis' wee jacket with the ears had me in stitches, and on the way back Holly and I waited to see a cruise ship leave the eponymous terminal and wandered home on the cycle path looking serious.
Saturday, September 01, 2007
Up A Tree, Oh That's The Place For Me
It's September already! So we headed up to Sharon & Ian's for a wee gathering to say "happy birthday" to Finn. We mostly hung out in the garden, and Holly developed a new enthusiasm for climbing (small) trees. "It's not scary, is it?" she said, after getting a bit stuck.
Friday, August 31, 2007
On Safari
Friday, and to mark the end of my week off, we took Grandma & Papa to Blair Drummond Safari Park for a day out. We started with a picnic, headed off to the sea lion show, and strolled around the smaller animals' enclosures before checking out the lions, giraffes, zebras and elephants and taking a boat ride to Chimpazee Island. All very exciting, and a grand day out.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
A Dandling Day
Thursday was another day off for me. After dropping Holly off at nursery, I went for a wee 30-mile bike ride (almost ending up on the M9 in the process). I returned to do a spot of Louis-dandling and pottering before Helen and I headed off for a stroll with Louis. It wasn't long before the blue sky and sunshine took its toll, and we found ourselves sitting in The Courtyard enjoying a couple of cold beers in the sunshine, and feeling very guilty indeed. So we headed off to pick up Holly (trying not to breathe on the nursery staff) and headed home feeling very holiday-like indeed.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Stream Of Consciousness
Avid readers will remember our recent trip to Essex to visit the grandparents. You may also recall that Holly didn't sleep in the car on the way down, despite all manner of encouragement and even changing her into her jammies. We finally resorted to ignoring her constant babbling, in the hope that she'd get the message. She didn't. Here's a wee snippet:
We had what seemed like *hours* of this. The "Eiffel Towers" she's referring to, by the way, are electricity pylons.
We had what seemed like *hours* of this. The "Eiffel Towers" she's referring to, by the way, are electricity pylons.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Fraser Takes A Day Off
And goes mountain biking at Glentress with Keith and Ken. There are no pictures of me here, but there are a few - of varying quality - of Keith throwing himself off things, Ken rolling over things and this rather nice one of the Tweed Valley from the top of Spooky Wood. There's also a video clip of Keith in the Ewok Village here.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Stop Press - Sun Shines Twice In Same Weekend
Well not exactly the weekend, Monday in fact but I'm off work this week so it felt like the weekend. We did a bit of hanging around outside the Parliament building - again - in the morning, then later on after taking in a show (it's the Fringe after all) and meeting Grandma Pat and Grandad John, we all went to Pizza Express for dinner. Holly ate an entire pizza (with olives) and still had room for an ice cream and a bambinoccino.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Just Hanging Around
Sorry, couldn't resist the title. We visited Paula (who in turn was visiting from London) at her mum's on Sunday, but couldn't remember the address. While we phoned to confirm, we perched Louis on a handy piece of street furniture.
A Visit To The Kingdom
Niall and Laura are leaving Dunfermline and returning to Edinburgh. We visited them on Saturday to say goodbye to their house, and hello to some tasty barbecued burgers. It was a splendid day, and Helen and Holly did some rolling down hills in Pittencrieff Park, or "The Glen" as it appears to be known by the locals.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Minx
When it comes to bathtime and bedtime, this little angel of ours likes to buy time with requests for miscellaneous goods and services. Here she is in the bathroom, delaying brushing her teeth by supping on a cup of milk.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
A Wet Weekend in Embra
Complaining about the terrible weather has become something of a national obsession, so I'll resist the temptation. Like the wholesome, stoic Scots (and one honorary Scot) we are, we still managed to get out on the bike in the rain. We also fitted in a trip to the beach at Cramond, ice cream included. Other than that, it was a weekend for larking about indoors.
Smiler
A couple of pics of Louis relaxing at home from a week or two ago. He's a happy wee soul, and generous with his smiles.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Flashback
A couple of pictures from Dave, dating back to April this year. Holly and I perched on the roots of a tree on the banks of the Almond at Cramond, and a pleasing domestic computing scene. Product placement not intentional...
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Oh Sit Down, Sit Down Next To Me...
Just a wee snap from the phone camera of Louis, sitting up in the Bumbo. He loves being upright, and he's in just the right position for us to sit at the table and sing to him during meals, an activity that always brings a smile to his wee face.
Thursday, August 09, 2007
A Blast From The Past
Monday, August 06, 2007
Homeward Bound
I apologise for the flurry of late updates - they go right back to Wednesday 25th so make sure you don't miss any - but this is the last one for now, I promise!
We headed home on Monday, pausing at an awful service station at Scotch Corner for a breath of fresh air and a leg stretch. Even Louis got in on the leg stretching action, and stood up for quite a while, helped only by me on the one hand and holly on the other. Holly fell asleep when we were nearly home, but we couldn't tell whether Louis was asleep or not so I used the phone camera to peek over the back of my seat at him!
We headed home on Monday, pausing at an awful service station at Scotch Corner for a breath of fresh air and a leg stretch. Even Louis got in on the leg stretching action, and stood up for quite a while, helped only by me on the one hand and holly on the other. Holly fell asleep when we were nearly home, but we couldn't tell whether Louis was asleep or not so I used the phone camera to peek over the back of my seat at him!
Sunday, August 05, 2007
The Miniature Railway Children
Sunday, and the highlight of the weekend was Grandma Pat's Nth birthday at the Audley End Miniature Railway. We set up a gazebo under a tree on the hottest day of the year so far (probably) and the good people came from far and wide to help Pat celebrate. Holly was a bit overwhelmed at times, but had a good time playing with Kitty, Bella and Sophie. Louis was like some kind of granny magnet, and performed brilliantly throughout.
Saturday, August 04, 2007
First Festival For Louis
Saturday, and Helen and I left Holly in the capable hands of Grandma and Grandad, and took Louis into London to meet up with friends and visit the Innocent Village Fete. We had a terrific sunny day and drank beer under shady trees and listened to bands and ate festival food under blistering sunshine. Louis was on top form, gurgling and chatting with anyone who paid him a moment's attention, and generally being a wee star. Again.
Friday, August 03, 2007
Punting On The Cam
Friday, and we took a punt - with Grandad John at the helm, if that's what it's called - out on the upper river, which is much more relaxed and peaceful than down the backs of the colleges in Cambridge. We paused for Champagne and Twiglets, then again further up the river for a wee picnic, where Holly and I did a bit of exploring and found a hay bale to sit on. Or was it straw? I'm never sure..
Thursday, August 02, 2007
A Day To Recover
A relaxing morning with Grandma & Granddad, then off to Grantchester to loaf around in the orchard. Holly fell asleep in the car on the way - still recovering from yesterday's late night - and then had a wee lie down under an apple tree. The day ended with Holly and Louis' first joint bathtime.
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